On Saturday, Rossland celebrated Earth Day with events happening all over town. Under blue skies and a big hot sun, people roamed the streets of Rossland peeking their heads into people’s chicken coops during the annual backyard chicken crawl before venturing over to the Earth Day fair in Harry Lefevre Square.
Fun was the word of the day, with music from locals Pete Reed, Joe Newton and friends, kids activities, and great information from local organizations. Kids could plant sunflowers and radishes, try to clean up an “oil spill,” ride the Fortis bike, or even chow down on solar-baked smores!
There was an update from Friends of the Rossland Range on the Rossland Range Recreation site, the Youth Action Network (YAN) were out promoting the blue dot campaign (www.bluedot.ca) and making buttons and an RSS class presented their Earth Day projects.
Locals Gill Eames and Darrel Fry discussed natural garden supplements while stirring their cauldrons of compost tea. The Sustainability Commission were out showcasing their work with the Monashee Institute and the Carshare Coop, the Kootenay Columbia Trail Society were getting people excited about biking, and the West Kootenay EcoSociety gained some more supporters for their Jumbo Wild and climate action campaigns!
Meanwhile, the Miner’s Hall was once again a bustling centre of activity, with vendors showcasing their goods from near and far. There were fresh eggs, local meat, honey, and greens, as well as lots of amazing artisans showcasing handmade jewellery, clothing, soaps, and oils, baked goods — the list goes on! Local musicians, including Dave Scanlon & Marvin Walker, as well as Tim Bourchier filled the hall with their fantastic music, creating a fun and festive atmosphere.
Rossland’s coffee shops also had a bit of fun on Earth Day. The West Kootenay EcoSociety put them up to a challenge — not to give out paper cups for all of Earth Day! The Alpine Grind, Cafe Books, and Clanseys all participated, giving customers a discount for bringing their own travel mug with them. Those who desperately needed to consume their beverages in paper were asked to make a donation to the West Kootenay EcoSociety to make up for it.
Earth Day is all about looking at your impacts on the planet, celebrating the environment, and recognizing community initiatives. And this weekend, Rosslanders certainly celebrated with our local community heroes drawing our attention to our impacts and celebrating our successes. Thank you to all those who came out to participate.